Our View: Zero time to waste for PAYT educational efforts

Wednesday

Jul 2, 2014 at 6:00 PM

There's just about one month left until Fall River's pay-as-you-throw program goes into effect on Aug. 4, but few people seem to know how the program will work. WasteZero, the company the city has contracted with to distribute the trash bags residents will need to purchase through retail outlets, contends it is “ahead of the game.” Most members of the general public would probably say that the educational outreach efforts are coming very late in the game.

Herald News Editorial Board

There’s just about one month left until Fall River’s pay-as-you-throw program goes into effect on Aug. 4, but few people seem to know how the program will work. WasteZero, the company the city has contracted with to distribute the trash bags residents will need to purchase through retail outlets, contends it is “ahead of the game.” Most members of the general public would probably say that the educational outreach efforts are coming very late in the game.

Granted, WasteZero has been making presentations at the city’s neighborhood association meetings about the program since the Flanagan administration announced in the spring that it would be implementing the program. But, as City Councilor Ray Mitchell pointed out, “They’re not reaching out to the people that need to know.”

With the details of its educational outreach efforts finalized just Tuesday, WasteZero will begin the city-wide outreach efforts with a mailing next week sent out to 33,000 households in four languages. A second — eight to 10 days before the program starts — will include a free trash bag. The company said all major retailers in the city have agreed to stock the purple bags, and all but one of the smaller retailers will sell them. An online map of these retailers was released by officials Wednesday.

WasteZero said that it will be including notices explaining the program on the local cable television station and in The Herald News. That’s a good start, but officials should also continue to utilize the web and social media to get the word out. They ought to partner with the city’s social service agencies to help explain the program to residents, and potentially provide emergency bag assistance.

Unfortunately, there have been some wasted opportunities. Officials said previously they would explain the program to schoolchildren to help with educational efforts. Although that opportunity is lost with the end of the school year, the summer lunch program and other Greater Fall River Re-Creation programs provide good opportunities to get families educated about the new trash procedures.

City officials do not plan to immediately begin issuing citations for those who fail to comply with pay-as-you-throw immediately. They plan to take an educational “person-to-person follow-up” method to first educate residents and then enlist the assistance of landlords if it continues to be a problem.

Properties with absentee landlords are expected to be the biggest challenge. It makes sense for the city to develop a clear enforcement policy for pay-as-you-throw and send this to property owners and residents before problems arise.

The next month is the crucial time to explain pay-as-you-throw to residents and get the city ready for its implementation. There is already a lot of skepticism and confusion about this program. Residents and property owners need to be educated in order to comply. With just a month before pay-as-you-throw is rolled out, there is zero time to waste.